Remaking Lives of Others

The Weinstein Co. and Sydney Pollock and Anthony Minghella's Mirage have acquired the remake rights to best foreign film Oscar winner, The Lives of Others. (David Denby raves over its perfectly conventional narrative here). I loved the movie! It's such a strong script that it will probably work as an English-language movie.

At my book group this week, we debated the strengths and weaknesses of dubbing. FIGS--I believe that's the acronym used by distributors to describe the countries (France, Italy, Germany, Spain) that still adopt this arcane dubbing practice. I believe that moviegoers are getting used to a flattened world where subtitles bring them the real sound and feel of another culture without the tricked up fakery of non-synched lips and dubbing. I believe that Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto are the wave of the future: they succeeded with subtitles. Isn't it possible that this is the one area where Americans are MORE sophisticated than the rest of the world? Or is it just a question of cultural habit?

Comments

[Pablo Villaça]

In Brazil, all films from all countries are exhibited in their original language with subtitles in Portuguese. The exception are the movies for children, that, for obvious reasons, are dubbed.

[jl]

Are you kidding? Americans more sophisticated in this regard than the French, for whom pure cinema reigns? Americans are the same people who for years couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that pan and scan was giving you LESS movie. Other than Italy, where everything is dubbed and has been since the beginning, I think you're vastly overestimating the US Audience. Essentially, you are, like me, living on a coast, aren't you?

[Sergio]

I read about this this morning and shook my head. What a TERRIBLE idea! Is Hollywood so completely devoid of ideas? DON'T ANSWER THAT! (We all know the answer) What's wrong with the original film, which just came out by the way. Are Amercians such rubes? DON'T ANSWER THAT! (We all know that answer as well)

[Viktor]

Why would it be so?

In Scandinavia, all foreign films are subtitled.

[mernitman]

Oh, Good Lord... Another relatively perfect movie that's bound to be de-improved in translation. Not as scary, however, as news that Ron Howard is going to helm the American version of "Cache"...! Yikes.

[shoeshield]

the countries that subtitle films don't have the dough to dub them. dubbing is also another way for countries to protect their languages. for the u.s. there are different reasons.

it's a really bad idea to remake this film. a SUPER bad idea. i mean, where's it going to be set? in east germany? or in north dakota?

[Say it ain't so]

What an incredibly bad idea remaking this movie would be. But since there is such an anti-american bias in these posts, I hope we ruin the hell out of this movie. I'm talking lavish dance numbers, gay cowboys, light saber duels and Barack Obama taking a gigantic piss all over the queen, draped in an american flag while eating a cheeseburger. Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher and Will Ferrel can star in it. If you're going to ruin a masterpiece, go all the way!!!

[Gareth]

No No No !! The Lives of Others is a film that is resonant of time and place - setting it in Muncie Indiana with a 'Breakfast Club' soundtrack is sssoooo bad an idea.

So is re-making Cache ...bad!!

So is MTV re-making 'The Rocky Horror Show' .... bad!!

As for being MORE sophisticated than the rest of the world ...... jingoisitc nonsense!